Elderly domain! W’burg pol pitches state seizure as solution to senior center woes

Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D–Williamsburg) is planning to introduce a bill to allow the government to yank private property from its owners using eminent domain without the normal review process. The proposal is a bid to keep open the Swinging Sixties Senior Center, which is fighting an eviction notice it received on Christmas Eve. The pol said he understands why people would hesitate to give officials that kind of power, but said in this case it is justified.

“There are reasons for the city to shy away from eminient domain, but this is one they should embrace,” said Lentol. “It is not raining on anyone’s parade. It might hurt the individual people who were offered it for sale, but they should have known that it was always intended for public use.”